| Christian Standard Bible | English Standard Version |
| 1When all the kings heard about Jericho and Ai, those who were west of the Jordan in the hill country, in the Judean foothills, and all along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea toward Lebanon--the Hethites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites-- | 1As soon as all the kings who were beyond the Jordan in the hill country and in the lowland all along the coast of the Great Sea toward Lebanon, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, heard of this, |
| 2they formed a unified alliance to fight against Joshua and Israel. | 2they gathered together as one to fight against Joshua and Israel. |
| 3When the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, | 3But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, |
| 4they acted deceptively. They gathered provisions and took worn-out sacks on their donkeys and old wineskins, cracked and mended. | 4they on their part acted with cunning and went and made ready provisions and took worn-out sacks for their donkeys, and wineskins, worn-out and torn and mended, |
| 5They wore old, patched sandals on their feet and threadbare clothing on their bodies. Their entire provision of bread was dry and crumbly. | 5with worn-out, patched sandals on their feet, and worn-out clothes. And all their provisions were dry and crumbly. |
| 6They went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the men of Israel, "We have come from a distant land. Please make a treaty with us." | 6And they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant country, so now make a covenant with us.” |
| 7The men of Israel replied to the Hivites, "Perhaps you live among us. How can we make a treaty with you?" | 7But the men of Israel said to the Hivites, “Perhaps you live among us; then how can we make a covenant with you?” |
| 8They said to Joshua, "We are your servants." Then Joshua asked them, "Who are you and where do you come from?" | 8They said to Joshua, “We are your servants.” And Joshua said to them, “Who are you? And where do you come from?” |
| 9They replied to him, "Your servants have come from a faraway land because of the reputation of the LORD your God. For we have heard of his fame, and all that he did in Egypt, | 9They said to him, “From a very distant country your servants have come, because of the name of the LORD your God. For we have heard a report of him, and all that he did in Egypt, |
| 10and all that he did to the two Amorite kings beyond the Jordan--King Sihon of Heshbon and King Og of Bashan, who was in Ashtaroth. | 10and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon the king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth. |
| 11So our elders and all the inhabitants of our land told us, 'Take provisions with you for the journey; go and meet them and say, "We are your servants. Please make a treaty with us."' | 11So our elders and all the inhabitants of our country said to us, ‘Take provisions in your hand for the journey and go to meet them and say to them, “We are your servants. Come now, make a covenant with us.”’ |
| 12This bread of ours was warm when we took it from our houses as food on the day we left to come to you; but see, it is now dry and crumbly. | 12Here is our bread. It was still warm when we took it from our houses as our food for the journey on the day we set out to come to you, but now, behold, it is dry and crumbly. |
| 13These wineskins were new when we filled them; but see, they are cracked. And these clothes and sandals of ours are worn out from the extremely long journey." | 13These wineskins were new when we filled them, and behold, they have burst. And these garments and sandals of ours are worn out from the very long journey.” |
| 14Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions, but did not seek the LORD's decision. | 14So the men took some of their provisions, but did not ask counsel from the LORD. |
| 15So Joshua established peace with them and made a treaty to let them live, and the leaders of the community swore an oath to them. | 15And Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore to them. |
| 16Three days after making the treaty with them, they heard that the Gibeonites were their neighbors, living among them. | 16At the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, they heard that they were their neighbors and that they lived among them. |
| 17So the Israelites set out and reached the Gibeonite cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim. | 17And the people of Israel set out and reached their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim. |
| 18But the Israelites did not attack them, because the leaders of the community had sworn an oath to them by the LORD, the God of Israel. Then the whole community grumbled against the leaders. | 18But the people of Israel did not attack them, because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by the LORD, the God of Israel. Then all the congregation murmured against the leaders. |
| 19All the leaders answered them, "We have sworn an oath to them by the LORD, the God of Israel, and now we cannot touch them. | 19But all the leaders said to all the congregation, “We have sworn to them by the LORD, the God of Israel, and now we may not touch them. |
| 20This is how we will treat them: we will let them live, so that no wrath will fall on us because of the oath we swore to them." | 20This we will do to them: let them live, lest wrath be upon us, because of the oath that we swore to them.” |
| 21They also said, "Let them live." So the Gibeonites became woodcutters and water carriers for the whole community, as the leaders had promised them. | 21And the leaders said to them, “Let them live.” So they became cutters of wood and drawers of water for all the congregation, just as the leaders had said of them. |
| 22Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and said to them, "Why did you deceive us by telling us you live far away from us, when in fact you live among us? | 22Joshua summoned them, and he said to them, “Why did you deceive us, saying, ‘We are very far from you,’ when you dwell among us? |
| 23Therefore you are cursed and will always be slaves--woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God." | 23Now therefore you are cursed, and some of you shall never be anything but servants, cutters of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God.” |
| 24The Gibeonites answered him, "It was clearly communicated to your servants that the LORD your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land before you. We greatly feared for our lives because of you, and that is why we did this. | 24They answered Joshua, “Because it was told to your servants for a certainty that the LORD your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you—so we feared greatly for our lives because of you and did this thing. |
| 25Now we are in your hands. Do to us whatever you think is right." | 25And now, behold, we are in your hand. Whatever seems good and right in your sight to do to us, do it.” |
| 26This is what Joshua did to them: he rescued them from the Israelites, and they did not kill them. | 26So he did this to them and delivered them out of the hand of the people of Israel, and they did not kill them. |
| 27On that day he made them woodcutters and water carriers--as they are today--for the community and for the LORD's altar at the place he would choose. | 27But Joshua made them that day cutters of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the LORD, to this day, in the place that he should choose. |
| The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. | ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. |
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